Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Rudolfo and Patricia Anaya Lecture Series on the Literature of the Southwest

Before there were Blogs there was Listserve. And for readers of Chicana Chicano Literature, the best listserv was CHICLE. In fact, La Bloga's OG blogueros, Rudy Garcia, Manuel Ramos, and Michael Sedano, met as CHICLEros (although Rudy and Manuel were homeboys antes de ser blogueros).

I was reminded how much I miss CHICLE when its founder, Teresa Marquez of the University of New Mexico (yes, the same Teresa Marquez of a Sonny Baca mystery novel whose title escapes me), advised La Bloga of the upcoming Rudolfo and Patricia Anaya Lecture Series on the Literature of the Southwest. Teresa, thank you for all that work monitoring and nurturing CHICLE.

The inaugural speaker is Simon Ortiz, Acoma poet and professor at Arizona State University. His presentation, the connections among indigenous cultures, Southwest studies and global literature, will be Thursday, October 21 at 5:30 p.m. in the George Pearl Hall auditorium at the University of New Mexico.

The event is free and open to the public.

The lecture series will be an annual event under the auspices of the UNM English Department through a generous donation from Rudolfo Anaya.

After spending the day at USC Doheny Memorial Library's bazaar, it's a short drive to Eagle Rock for José Vera gallery's 6:30 p.m. art talk by noted realist artist Mark Vallen on Siqueiros & the Mexican School of Social Realism.

José Vera's current show features prints and drawings created as tributes to the Mexican muralist's heritage. In addition, the gallery offers a breathtaking collection of furniture, Batchelder-style tile, colored-glass and mosaic work. Located near the corner of Eagle Rock and Colorado blvds at 2012 Colorado Blvd, LA 90041, José Vera sponsors poetry readings and local artist shows. More information is at the gallery's website.

Vallen appears also in November at the Mexican Cultural Institute at Olvera Street, speaking on David Alfaro Siqueiros and the BLOC OF PAINTERS, American Social Realism in the 1930s.

When Siqueiros arrived in Los Angeles in 1932 he assembled what he called the "Bloc of Painters," a group of United States artists whose members assisted the Mexican muralist in painting three monumental wall paintings in L.A. Among Bloc members were Rubin Kadish, Harold Lehman, Fletcher Martin, Phil Paradise, Murray Hantman, Barse Miller, Paul Sample, Philip Guston, Millard Sheets. By combining projected images with his lecture, Mark Vallen brings to light that buried history. Saturday, November 6, 2010. 6:30 p.m. Mexican Cultural Institute.

The Siqueiros bits & pieces come from Mark Vallen's blog, Art for a Change. It's well worth frequent visits, or a free subscription. In the current edition, Vallen has a fascinating critique comparing Vietnam-era protest art to Obama's Afghanistan war, "The Madonna of the Napalm."

Early Notice: Veterans Day Reading Event

AMVETS Post II will be hosting a Veterans Day event on Nov. 11 at 7 pm. It will feature readings by novelist Daniel Cano, Death and the American Dream; Chris Sweeney, reading fromThe Things They Carried, and Actor/Activist, Kiki Castillo reading from William "Bill" Lansford's latest work on the USMC Raiders.

Lansford leads the effort to complete the installation of the Obregon Memorial near Olvera Street. The memorial honors the 4000 holders of the Congressional Medal of Honor, including the 40 Latinos whose valor in combat singled them out for the nation's most significant honor.

AMVETS Post 2 is located at 10858 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA

On-Line Floricanto from Poets Responding to SB1070

Last week, La Bloga introduced the moderators active in selecting La Bloga's On-Line Floricanto poems. Poets submit their work to the Facebook group, Poets Responding to SB1070, and the moderators make their several recommendations, with leader Francisco Alarcón tabulating their choices to produce the list of weekly floricanto work.

My flag is the color of floraof yellows, crisp and dry greens,and of bright pinks: they are the little facesof flowers and buds to soon smile.

My flag is the color of fauna—of creamy and dark huesand of a radiant greenish-blue chest:it is the restless gallop stirring dust and the featheredheart-rending scream.

My flag is the color of water—clearembracing me with its arms without fighting over skincolor: in it—I laugh, I rejoice, I sing, I cry and I feelloved again.

My flag is not the color of a red streamof spilled blood from my Palestinian brother,from my African sister, from my white brother,from my Chinese sister, and from my thirsty brother:my flag is the swaying of a hand and handkerchieflike a wounded messenger bird searching for a mountof hope offering peace and liberty.

tell me where you're fromi'll tell you your name is deeper than thatsana las aguas de tu yollotl sin papeles

Time to Shine/Out of the Dark

by Manuel Lozano

Out of nowhere it was time,Time to rebel, time to shine,To pierce the dark overcastAnd redefine the old uprise.This one’s for all those from the past,For all those seeking paradiseIn a land where tyrants rule.Control the feed, control the mule,Work goes up, the pay goes down,Look what happened to our sacred jewel,The jester wears it on his makeshift crown.

In with wild thunder,With full force, a natural wonder,In the midst of the ongoing stormWith no time to ponder what’s coming next.This one’s for all those with humble form,The common list of usual suspectsThat still emit the natural light.Destroy the day, veil the night,The stage is set, the curtains drawn,The ones below suffer their plightBecause the top exploits what it’s sitting on.

There is no room to understand,The hidden truth, some contraband,It all relates to what is hiddenWith the task at hand an ongoing nightmare.This one’s for all those who are bedridden,This is the madness that we shareIn dreams that take a turn for the worse.Twisted vision, whispered curse,It’s all the same, nothing’s unique,The left and the right side converseAbout those left out that shall never speak.

There’s no surrender,We the people, deemed the big spender,Screaming out loud point the middle fingerAt the legal tender with the eye on the price.This one’s for all those who do not linger,We take up arms against the enterpriseWho vows to keep the family defeated.It is written, you can read it,In these lines, in rhythmic melody,We rise up and do whatever’s neededTo protect our family.

Just like that the time was here,The veil burned, the smoke blown clear,The skyline fractured with the lightning boltAnd we do not fear the road we’ve got to take.This one’s for all those who revolt,For the ones intact where fractures breakThe tight grip of the ivory tower.It’s us that lead, we have the power,This land is ours, both yours and mine,And in the depths of this darkest hourIt is indeed our time to shine.

...They killed my mother, and left me for dead--now living is a sin...

How many barriers have been built, to keep me in my place...

Bullets could not, fences could not, ever stop my pace...

I wonder how murderers feel, to have a celebration...

Unless their last names are Columbus, they'll find incarceration...

Tomorrow I'll sing to skies, filled with mother's eyes...

I'm still alive, still have hope, much to their surprise...

SO I DREAM

by Stay True - Jesus Cortez

Forgive me for not wanting to be "American",on second thought don't forgive meI rather be me, free to see above flags,since all they are is glamourized rags;why would I brag about being accepted...into a society that wants me to be molded in the name of their father,their son and their holy spirit, but neglectedto tell me that even if I sold my soulmy skin would betray me in a heartbeat,so I stand before those who judge meand say I rather be without paperswithout fakers on my side--above the sun shinesonly for those who belong, maybe I don'tbut I still sing my song, in my voicethat will not be muted no matter how strongthe winds of oppression, or obsessionwith a Dream that was never meant for me--SO I DREAM a different dream, where papersare useful only when minds are too lazy toremember that humanity has no legality--I rather be Respected than accepted;so I can not ask for forgiveness for my sin,or the sins of my MOTHERS, for that wouldbe betraying my brothers...﻿By: Jesus Cortez

“Epiphany Pathway" by Scott Maurer

Dedicated to Hal D. Levy, 28 February 1956 - 13 September 2010, and to Hal’s mother

what punctures our balloonof suspension of disbelief

of painful emotions easedby scapegoat punching-bag

BIOS

1. "Nahualli" by Octaviano Merecias-Cuevas

A trilingual Mixteco poet, socio-linguist, researcher, filmmaker and community educator. A member of H2@arte and Black Poets Society. Member of the new movement of Poesía Mixta, where the indigenous languages mix with Spanish, English, and Portuguese, can be part of one whole song/poem/piece using a simple mathematical structures. Currently he lives in Oregon where he serves as a faculty member for Oregon State University Extension Services working with youth at risk and leading New Media Technology projects. He has long hair, is single, and is looking for his musa. You can find out more about his new media projects at vozdenube.com and Facebook.com/octaviano.merecias or @ myspace.com/oktavio104

2. "Mi bandera"/"My Flag" by Sonia Gutiérrez

foto: Esveida Lopez

Sonia Gutiérrez’s poetry and fiction have appeared in City Works Journal, La Revista Literaria de El Tecoloto, Fringe Magazine, Mujeres de Maíz, among others and forthcoming in Turtle Island to Abya Yala. She teaches English at Palomar College and is currently working on her manuscript, Spider Woman/La Mujer Araña, a bilingual poetry collection.To see more of Sonia’s work, visit her bloguita, Chicana in the Midst: Poetry, Prose, and Fotografía by Sonia Gutiérrez, Guest Poetas y Fotographers.

Hello, i am Victor Yaocelotl Olguin, I live in Cleburne Tx. and i'm a member of calpulli Tonalpilli in Dallas Tx. I'm also with the group of danza Azteca-Chichimeca (Mexica') Mitiotiliztli Yaoyollo'tli (heart of the warrior) that belongs to the same calpulli.

7. "Columbus Day" by Stay True ~ Jesus Cortez

Jesus Cortez is a 30 year-old poet from West Anaheim, California. His inspiration comes from his immigrant background, the street life, the pain of his people and the pain of all people. He knows that poems are like bullets against oppression, but that more action is needed if changes are to come.